Subaqueous light system.



PATENTED OCT. l, 1907.

L. DION.

SUBAQUEOUS LIGHT SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 6, 1906. BENEWED JULY 10, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SH`BET 1.

N. 867.256. PATENTBD 0011, 1907.

` L. DION.

SUBAQUEOUS LIGHT SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.6,19OG. RENEWED JULY 10, 1907.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

Irn fsirns LIGHT COMPANY, OI" WILKES-BARRE,

ARIZONAL TERRITORY. f

PENNSYLVANIA, -A CORPORATION OF SUB AQUEOUS LIGHT SYSTEM.

Specification of LettersPatent.

PatentedOct. 1, 1907'.

Application filed November 6, 1906, Serial No. 342,222. Renewed July 10, 1907. Serial lie. 383,115.

To all whom it Imay concern:

`Be it known that I, LON DION, a citizen of vthe United States, residing at Wilkes-Barre, in the county 0f Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Subaqueous Light Systems, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to navigation and has for its object to enable vessels to travel ata greater speed accompanied by allfnecessary safety, than has heretofore been practicable, particularly at night or when there is a fog, and also particularly where the channel or course to be followed is narrow or tortuous. Even on clear nights, and with ample lighthouses and light buoys, extreme care is required to properly traverse surface of the water so that said means will not be injured or displaced by passing vessels. In other words I illuminate the roadway or 'path or course for vessels to take, themeans of illumination being located where the light therefrom `can be seen with proper appliances even in the densest' fogs.

My invention consists in illuminating the course which a vessel is to take, the source of illumination being below the surface of the water, all as will be more fully hereinafter described.

Of the accompanying drawings :"Figure l is a view representing .somewhat conventionally a body of water and a portion of`a vessel, with the course for that vessel to follow indicated by a row of incandescent lights connected with a submerged cable. Fig. 2 is a similar viewbut With the vessel shown as provided with a different means for observing the illuminated course during a fog. Fig. 3 is a chart view representing a portion of the entrance to New York harbor, provided with my improved course illuminators, said view representing two courses, one for incoming vessels and one for outgoing'vessels. Fig. 4 is 4a detail view hereinafter described.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all of the views.

AIncar'rying out my invention, I lay along the bottom of thecourse a cable 5 which may be suitably anchored in position if found necessary. Said cable will be laid along' the deepest portion oi the channel for vessels when the invention is used in harbors. At suitable intervals there are attached'to said cable short v cables 6 for conductors leading to incandescent lamps 7." In order tliat said lamps may not rest upon the bottom, I preferably'employ suitable floats S which floats may be of cork of other suitable buoyant material, such as represented in Figs. l and 2, or they may be hollow iioats such as indicated at 8 in Fig. 4. I prcferably employ a reflecting surface below each lamp so constructed as to direct rays of light upward. Said reflecting surface may comprise the upper concave surface 9 of the iioat 8u shown in Fig. 4. In practice the globes of the lamps may be much thicker'than usual so that they may possess the necessary strength, and they may be protected by any suitable cage structures. themselves shall not be rigidly secured in any way, but be free to sway from side to side so that th y may give or yield to swirling currents caused by the screws of large vessels passing over them. In other words, while the line of cable itself may be anchored or kept in fixed position by its weight, the lightsthemselvcs fioat above the cable. Of course, where the depth varies the length of the connections 6 may vary so that the lights themselves will be at a practically uniform distance from the surface of the water., such distances being preferably only sufficient to avoid their being injured by vessels of the deepest draft utilizing the harbor or channel or course where the lights are located.

The lights for one course may be colored differently from the lights of another course so that vessels utilizing the pathway may know which line to follow. If -the course is shallow, the lights will be located at only sufhcient height above the bottom to avoid being buried by sediment settling in the water. The distances apart of the lights will be according to requirement. If the lights are arranged. quite closely together, and the night is perfectly clear, the outlook or pilot on the deck or the bridge or in the` pilot house will see for a considerable ldistance ahead of him'a luminous track which he is tn follow. The continuity of said track will depend upon the proximity of the lights to each other.

The cable will, of course, b e capable of being taken up for repairs or for the placing of new lights. The current for the lamps may be conveniently controlled from vthe closest light house or some point on land, at which In any event, I prefer that the lights vals, the course may sometimes be more clearly deterserve for both` While in Fig. 3 I have indicated the cable or cables and the series of lamps connected thereto as of considferable length, it is'to be understood that such length will depend entirely upon the demands of the particular'locality where used. For instance if the channel leads between two rocks or between a rock and a small shoal, one lamp at. each lside might be sufficient. Or if the course lies ear to a single rock, one lamp submerged near that rock might be sufficient and no more l lamps submerged for a long distance or until near the next rock or shoal. And if a shoal or rock exists where for some reasona lighthouse or buoy can not be practically located, a submerged light-or series of lights can be anchored adjacent to such shoal or rock so as to indicate to a passing vessel where the danger lies.l

I have so far described my invention as one relied upon in clear' night weather. On a foggy night the illuminated course would not be readily distinguished from the deck of the vessel. When the vessel has, or is' provided vwith, bulls-eyes below the water line, such as indicated at 10 i-n Fig. l, a lookout at this point can see the course vand indicate it by any suitable means to the pilot by simply keeping his watch at such bulls-eye. Theglass for such bulls eye of course `will be of any required thickness and any preferred protector for such bulls-eye may be employed. When a vessel has no such bulls-eye below the water line, an ordinary water telescope such as indicated at 1l in Fig. 2'may be suspended over the side of the vessel so that the lookout can see below the surface. The principle of the water telescope is well-known and need not be lescribed herein further than to say that with such device, a person above the water line can see much day-time the-light housekeeper or other oficial having' charge oi the system will switch on the current and then any observer below the .Water line or using a wa-l ter telescope, will be able to signal to the pilot of the vessel the proper course to follow so as to keep above or'nearly above the line of lights. This latter-utility will enable the invention to be of beneftto ferry lines because the courses for the boats of the line in opposite directions may be readily marked or indicated by different colored lines of illuminators alongthe bottom of the water course which such ferry boats are to pass.

In war time, a harbor protected by submerged torpedoes or mines will be rendered safe for the entrance or departure of a friendly vessel able to give the proper signal to the .official in a fort on shore. When 4such ocial receives the proper code signal that a-iriendly vescourse.

sel desires to pass between the mines or torpedoes, the course having previously been laid out, no matter how tortuous, by means of a submerged cable 'and line of lamps as described, said oflcial will simply switch on the current. Then when the vessel has passedthe danger zone of the mines or torpedoes, the current may be shutoff and no vessel of the enemy would be able to pick his way among said mines or torpedoes. Of course the location of torpedoes or mines adjacent to the safety course may be indicated by lights connected in the same serieswith' those of the safety'course but differing therefrom in color as by having white lights for .the'course and red ones for the mines.

My invention will be found to be of particular utility for the navigator of a submarine boat, for he must go `to the surface to observe buoys, lighthouses or landminating the water from a practically fixed point belowv the surface of said water independently of the vessel tthe navigation ofwhich is to be facilitated by said' illumination.

2. The method of imparting safety t0 navigation; consisting in illuminating the course by a series of submerged practically fixed lights.

3. The method ofimparting safetyto navigation, consistlng in illuminating the course by a series of submerged practically fixed. lights, and observing the illuminated course from a point on the vessel below the water line.

4. Aus an aid to navigation, a series of permanently submerged substantially x'ed lamps.

5. The combination with a series of submerged lights to indicate ainarine course, of a vessel having means whereby the lights may be observed without interference by fog.

6. As a means for illuminating a marine course, a conductor ofelectricity laid along said course, and a series of permanently submerged electric lights buoyantly supported above said conductor. l

7. Th'e combination with a marine channel or course, of a plurality of cables and permanently submerged lamps connected to said cables, whereby the courses for incom- 'ing'and outgoing vessels may be indicated.

8. The combination with a marine channel or course, of a plurality of cables and permanently submerged lamps connected to said cables whereby-the courses of incoming and outgoing vessels maybe indicated, the lights of one course dilering ln colorfrom the lights on the adjacent 9: As a means forvilluminating a marine courser channel, a cable'having a series of permanently submerged lights connected/thereto, said lights having reflectors.

In testimony' whereof 'I have axed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

LEON DION.

Witnesses.: I y

H. 'JosEl-F DoYLn, E. H. IA'nKrNs. 

